A L M 



A L M 



to (ix liis refidence. This circiimftance gave occafioii to his 

 Iniilding ihe city of Bagdad, A. D. 762. In tlic preceding 

 year he received infoniiatioii that a dcTign liad been formed 

 to dethrone liim ; but the plot being difcovered, all who 

 were direflly'or indircftly concerned in it were feverely pii- 

 nilhed ; and moll of them were by cruel treatment put to 

 death. His uncle Abdallah fliared the fate of other rebels ; 

 for having been allured to his court bv affuranecs of pardon 

 Rnd protection, he placed him in a building, which was fo con- 

 ftrufted, that it fell and cruflied him in its ruins. Soon after 

 Almanfor h.ad iixed hii relidence at Bagdad, A. D. 768, he 

 was cured of a dangerous diforder by the advice cf a famous 

 Chrillian phyfician, whofe name was George ebn Bahtifliua 

 Al Jondifaburi. The caliph, as a recompence, prcfeiiied 

 him with three beautiful Greek girls, and a confiderable fum 

 of money ; but the girls were fent back, with a declaration 

 on the part of George, who was married to a wife old and in- 

 finn, of which Almanfor was previouHy apprifed, that it was 

 not lawful for a Chrillian to have more than one wile at a 

 time. The phvlician's conduiS; on this occafion, whilfl it 

 furprifed the caliph, raifed him in his efteem, and was fol- 

 lowed by a profufion of favours. Almanfor in his fucceeding 

 inilitary tranfaftions was generally viflorious. Towards his 

 Chriftian fnbjccls he exereifed much feverity. In the year 

 744 he fet cut on a pilgrimage to Mecca ; and being feized 

 on his journey with a dileafe which threatened danger, he 

 fent for his fon and intended fncceiTor, Al Mohdi, and gave 

 him falutary advice. " I command you," faid he, " to treat 

 publicly your relations with the grcatetl marks of diflinftion, 

 llnce this conduft will refieft no fmall degree of honour and 

 glory upon yourfelr. Licreafe the number of your frted- 

 men, and treat them all with kindnefs, as they will be of 

 great fervice to you in your adverhty : but neither this, nor 

 the other injunction will you fulfil. Enlarge not that part 

 (if your capital erefted on the eallern bank of the Tigris, as 

 you will never be able to finilh it ; but this work 1 know 

 you will attempt. Never permit any of your women to in- 

 termeddle in affairs of ilate, nor to have too much influence 

 over your counfcls ; but this advice I know you will not 

 take. Thefe are my laft commands ; or, if ycu pleafe, my 

 dying advice ; and to God I now recomni! nd you." They 

 then parted, and were both in tears. He purfued his journey 

 to Bir-Maimun, /. e. the well of Maimun, where he expired, 

 in the 63d year of his age and 20th of his reign. His re- 

 mains were interred at Mecca. The charadler of Almanfor 

 feems to have been formed of very heterogeneous and even 

 contradielory qualities. In private his temper was mild, and 

 couciliated affeftion and attachment ; but in public, his 

 afpett and demeanour infpired terror. He was prudent and 

 brave, engaging in difcourfe, converfant in all the atts of 

 government, and addifled to fludy and literature, and par- 

 ticularly to philofophy and aftronomy ; but he was extremely 

 covetous, perfidious, cruel and implacable. Mod. Un. Hill, 

 vol. ii. p. I0C3 — 135. 



Almansor, in Geography, a town of Africa, in the 

 kingdom of Fez, fituate on the river Guir. 



ALM ANSPACH, a fmall town of the circle of Suabia, 

 between the lake of Zell and that of Conftance. 



ALMANZA, a fmall town of Spain, in New Caftilc, en 

 the frontiers of Valencij, fituate in N. lat. 38" 54'. W. long. 

 1° 21'. In the plain adjoining to this town marflial Ber- 

 wick defeated the allies in 1707, under the marquis de los 

 Minas and the earl of Galway. 



ALMARAZ, a town of Spain, in the province of Ef- 

 tremadura, fituate in a fine plain, on the north fide of the 

 Tagus, eight leagues eaft-fouth-eaft of Coria. 



ALMARIA, or Armaria, in our j^ridtrU Rcconls, dc« 

 note the archives of a church, or library. 



Almaria, in Giography. See Villa Rica. 



ALMAS, or Ai.MAECH, a fmall town of Hun- 

 gary, in Tranfylvania, will) a diilrici dependent 011 

 Claufenbourg. The dilhidt lies bctvccn Inirgh s and 

 Claufenbourg, and confitls of mountains, in wiiich arc 

 found many caverns. Almas is a fmall place, giving 

 name to the adjacent countiy in the bannate of Tc- 

 mefvar, and alfo a river upon which is fituated the fortrcfs 

 of Sigeth. 



ALMAZAN, a fmall town or village of Spain, in Old 

 Callile, at the foot of the frontier mountains of the province 

 of Aragon, where is Ihewn a relic, which is the objett of 

 devotion, as the head of the proto-martyr Stephen, and near 

 which was fettled the treaty of peace between Henry, king 

 of Cailile, and Peter IV., king of Aragon, in 1375. N. 

 lat. 41° 30'. W. long. 2° i6'. 



ALME, a river of Germany, which runs into the l^ippe, 

 near Elfen, in the billiopric of Paderborn. 



Alme, in Modern NlJIory, finging or dancing girls in 

 Egypt, who, like the Improvifatori of Italy, can ccca- 

 fionally chant unpremeditated verfe. They are thus called, 

 becaule they have received a better education than other 

 women, and they form a celebrated fociety in this country. 

 The qualiiications for admiffion are a good voice, a know- 

 ledge of the language and of the rules of poetiy, and an 

 abil ty to compote and fing couplets on the fpot, adapted 

 to the circumflances. The alme know by heart all the new 

 fongs, and their memoiy is furiiiflied with the moll beautiful 

 moet:, i. e. elegiac hymns, bewailing the death of a hero or 

 the misfortunes incident to love, and the prettiell t;Jc;?. 

 They attend evci-y fellival, and, placed in a rollrum, fing 

 during the repafl ; and then defcendiug into the faluon, 

 dance a kind of pantomime ballets, that reprcfeiU the ordinary 

 occurrences of life, and the mylleries of love. Their bodies 

 are furprifingly fupple, and their features fo flexible, that they 

 can exhibit at pleafure the different charafters they alTume. 

 I'he indecency of their attitudes and of their drcfs is often 

 carried to cxcefs; their Heps are regulated by the found of 

 the flute, of callanets, the tambour de bafqiie and cymbals, 

 which accelerates or retards the meafure ; and tliey are alfo 

 animated by words adapted to the fcenes. They appear in 

 a Hate of intoxication, and are the bacchants in a delirium. 

 Thefe alme are fent for into all the harams, where they teach 

 the women the new airs, amnfe them with amorous tale;;, 

 and recite poems, rendered interelliiig by furnifliing a li\eTy 

 pifture of their manners. By tliefe they are initiated into 

 the myfl;eries of their art, and taught lafcivious dances. Ai 

 their underftandings are cultivated, their converfation is 

 agreeable. They alfo fpeak the language with purity ; and 

 habituated to poetry, the foftell and moll generous exprcf- 

 fions are familiar to them. They repeat with mucli grace, 

 follow nature in finging, and excel in the jxitlictic. Even 

 the Turks pais whole niglits in hearing them. When two 

 fing togetiier, it is always with the fame voice ; and in the 

 orchcllra, all the in'lruments playing in unilon execute 

 the fair.e part. Thefe alme affill at the marriage ceremonies, 

 and march before the bride playing on inllruments ; and they 

 attend funerals, accompanying the proccfnon and finging 

 forrowful airs. They are paid at a high rat^, and fcldoui 

 appear except among the grandees and rich men. However, 

 tlie common people have alfo their alme, who are girls of an 

 inferior clafj, and llrive to imitate the former, without their 

 knowledge, elegance and graces. The pubhc places and 

 walks about Grand Cairo abound with theia : nor will de- 

 cency 



